The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-09
Special Contributors.
RELIGIOUS TRUTH IN OUR DECLAR-
ALTON OF INDEPENDENCE.
BY REV. A. A. THAYER.
Dosage, Iowa.)

The truth in our Declaration of Inde-
pendence, was the inspiring force which
made our nation which stimulated
our fathers zeal, and gave them the
power to become nation. The i'm
mortal declaration affirms 1--WE hold
these truths to be self-evident. Truth
is the foundation On which our fore
fathers began to build. eye shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you
Free" They had discovered certain
great truths which created the effort to
be free. And they put forth this truth
as the burning impulse in the hearts of
their fellow countrymen in the strug-
gle before them. They fought, indeed,
for freedom. But freedom should be
derived from truth and right-from
certain great fundamental principles
founded in the being of man, and in the
nature of God.
1--WE hold these truths to be self
evident" That sentence is glorious
beginning for nation. ''In the be-
ginning God created the heavens and
the earth" But this is the beginning
in which our fathers attempted to Gre
ate nation. "These truths" were the
inception of freedom to great people
and glorious Federal Union. Well,
what are these truths, truths so plain
that they need no evidence, and are,
therefore, selfevident a. ALI men
are created equal. (2.) They are endowed
by their Creator with certain inalien-
able rights. 49, Among these rights are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi-
ness. a. To secure these rights, gov
ernments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed. (5.) Whenever
any form of government becomes de-
structive of these ends, it is the right
of the people to alter or abolish it, and
to institute new government on such
principles as shall seem most likely to
effect their safety and happiness. Here
then are FIVE great self-evident truths
on which our thirteen colonies began to
build. They knew these truths, and
through them they resolved to be free.
Well, these truths are self-evident.
They need no proof that they are truths.
But are they eternal Will they be
always true? AS Christian l should
say that these are eternal truths, pro-
vided they are in harmony with the
gospel. Because, in sense, they are
religious truths. They touch the be-
ginnings of things. They comprehend
our creation. They specify Creator.
They recognize the existence and agency
of a Supreme Being. They pass a
judgment upon his work. They pre-
sumo TO know the moral quality of Gods
act when he created man. They gravely
describe the endowments with which
he blessed his children. They even
maintain that governments are insti-
tuted to defend the rights and endow-
ments bestowed upon us by the Creator
of us all. Yea, these truths declare
that the people have right to alter or
abolish government when it ceases to
maintain the rights and endowments
bestowed by the Creator; and that new
government may be instituted to effect
the safety and happiness of mankind.
And hence, however much we may de-
clare that Thomas Jefferson and Ben
jamin Franklin were iDfidels, and did
not know the one true God, yet these
self-eyident truths which flowed from
their pens are religious truths. They
take hold upon religious things, and if
in harmony with the gospel of our Lord,
they are eternal truths.
Take the first, "kll men are created
equal" We could wish that this po-
litieal gem had one single amendment.
l would that it read, "All mankind are
created equal" 1t would then contain
the full measure of truth. But as a
stroke of the divine right of kings and
privileged classes, it is truthful to the
extent that one man is looked upon by
heaven, with the same favor as another.
Men are not equal in stature, pounds
weight, in wit or wisdom. But they
have equal claims to favor and protec-
tion from their Creator and from the
law. There is no aristocracy of blood
acknowledged by the eternal author of
things.